One of the earliest prize devices was the bagatelle or drop case. The game is played by dropping a ball or coin into a case which contains an arrangement of pins. The ball or coin moves through the case, striking the pins as it falls. In doing so, the path of the ball or coin is disrupted and randomized. Upon reaching the bottom of the case, the ball or coin falls into a compartment, the location of which indicates the prize won by the player.
For example, Buchanan (U.S. Pat. No. 503,942) discloses a device which uses a series of pins to indiscriminately guide a coin into a series of compartments located at the bottom of a case. Similarly, Breyfogle (U.S. Pat. No. 1,053,473) discloses a vending machine in which an arrangement of pins randomizes the path of a coin as it falls toward a series of slots. The slot into which the coin is finally deposited determines the prize the player has won.
However, these games suffer from some shortcomings. First, the gambling industry is well aware that attrition rate of games can be high if the player is not stimulated. In the games disclosed by the prior art, the playing surface never changes and there are no chances to progress toward a bonus or win a large payoff. Thus, a player will tend to tire of the game quickly.
Further, the gambling industry requires precise figures as to the player's chances of winning. Similarly, the gambling industry needs the ability to change the odds of winning to stimulate the players and to control the amount of payoff. However, the prior art games are random and indiscriminate in their outcomes and give no control over the odds of winning to the operator.
Thus, it can be appreciated that there is a need in the art for a novel drop case game which is more exciting and stimulating to the player and gives the operator accurate winning percentages while allowing the operator the flexibility and power to change the winning percentages as the operator desires.